Iranian car companies warn of dangerous gas mix

The Association of Iranian Car Manufacturers has warned the Environment Organization that using gasoline that is 35 percent methanol can be seriously harmful to people's health and can also cause car fires. Iran's Oil Ministry previously had announced its plan to produce gasoline that is 35 percent methanol.

In a letter to the Environment Organization, Ahmad Nematbakhsh of the car manufacturers association warns that the use of methanol could even cause blindness. The report adds that emissions produced from burning methanol are highly toxic and could cause severe pulmonary damage. He adds that methanol's corrosive properties also make it highly damaging to automobile fuel systems, making them more prone to catching fire.

Oil Minister Rostam Ghasseimi previously had announced plans to soon "launch" a trial run of seven to eight million litres of gasoline that is 35 percent methanol.

The association of car manufacturers calls on the Environment Organization to stop the production of this fuel.

Following the intensification of international sanctions on Iran, the Oil Ministry has charged its petrochemical complexes with producing gasoline. Iran's oil refineries only produce about 50 percent of Iran's gasoline needs.

However, the gasoline produced by the petrochemical complexes has been under question from the start. Many MPs have alleged that it could cause cancer.

Many have also blamed the recent rise in air pollution in Tehran and other cities on the use of gasoline from these complexes.